


Insects Weren't the Problem

by Cookiesauces



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Character Development, Christmas, Crack, Cute, Developing Relationship, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Meet-Cute, Misunderstandings, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-17 08:38:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11271882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cookiesauces/pseuds/Cookiesauces
Summary: Honestly, the dorm lounge isn't too bad.There's a three seater sofa and a two seater one available, in which Lance took the former because of his long limbs.It's also better ventilated than his room with direct wind from the ceiling fan above.And he doesn't wake up with a crick in his neck the next morning, so the insect wasn't a problem after all.The problem was Keith.College AU where Lance and Keith meet under forced circumstances which may result in involuntary cuddling, room sharing, passionate movie marathons, reluctant coffee-tasting and other shenanigans all while bonding and possibly falling in love.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, this is my first time writing more than 3k words so hooray! Honestly, this supposedly started out as a simple meet-cute but then I felt compelled to continue so now I am Committed, dammit. Unfortunately, I'm kind of working on their end game and I'm kinda stuck so feel free to suggest ideas! Like, please hahaha. But for now, please enjoy what I have so far!

Insects weren't a problem.

The problem was that Hunk _isn't here_ to catch them because he went back to visit his family for the month break.

While Lance stayed to save up for the visit during the three months break.

And is thus left alone with _Satan's spawn_.

"Go away! Shoo! Sh- AAHHHH!" Lance screamed when the beetle ignored his headings and took flight from his floor to his table.

 

Goddamn it.

It's been 20 minutes of unsuccessful communication with the enemy.

And frankly, Lance is _tired_. He just wants to sleep.

 

"Don't make me do this." Lance gave a final warning, holding up his pillow.

 

 

The beetle's wings fluttered.

Lance fled the scene, pillow in his arms.

 

-

 

Honestly, the dorm lounge isn't _too_ bad.

There's a three seater sofa and a two seater one available, in which Lance took the former because of his long limbs.

It's also better ventilated than his room with direct wind from the ceiling fan above.

And he doesn't wake up with a crick in his neck the next morning, so the insect wasn't a problem after all.

 

 

The problem was _Keith_.

 

-

 

When Keith was informed that his appeal to dorm with his adoptive brother was accepted for college, he couldn't have been more thankful. All worries about not getting along with his unknown roommate, especially with his non-existent social skills, were resolved.

Now, though, he starts to reconsider his decisions.

Because not only did Shiro decided to house long-distance girlfriend who can only afford to visit and stay during the break, said girlfriend's snores can also _wake the dead_.

Keith buried his face deeper into his pillow when Allura let out a particularly loud snort the third time that night.

He flipped over and glared furiously at the two blissfully oblivious occupants who were sleeping. As if being in the same room with his brother sharing his bed with his girlfriend wasn't awkward enough.

But it's not like Keith can chase Allura out or something. Like, apart from basic courtesy, that lady was pretty darn scary if she want to be, so.

With a frustrated sigh, Keith grabbed his pillow and headed for the lounge.

 

-

 

Bzzzz. Bzzzz.

Lance slapped the light switch on to witness the same bloody beetle flying repetitively into his light bulb.

"OH MY GOD I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONE!" He screeched in disgust, crawling to the edge of the bed furthest from the lamp.

The insect showed no sign of acknowledgement.

Lance let out a dying groan.

" _Have fun mating with my lamp._ " He spat sarcastically before escaping to the lounge.

 

-

 

To his dismay, someone was already taking up the three-seater sofa when Lance arrived.

Someone with a thick, black mullet was all that Lance could identify from his back view.

And there's _only one_ person with a thick, black mullet that Lance would know.

But alas, exhaustion overtook agitation and Lance resigned himself to the next available sofa.

 

-

 

When Lance woke, there was indeed a crick in his neck and he was 83% sure that he had lost one of his legs because of how numb it was from hanging off the sofa.

He probably woke up more tired than before he slept.

He shot a glare at the empty three seater in accusation.

Good thing it was a one-time thing.

 

-

 

It was, apparently, _not_ a one-time thing.

Because the bug is still. In. His. Room!

"I thought you guys have a life span of like 3 hours!?" Lance shouted before slamming his room door shut.

This time though, he had reached the lounge seemingly when Keith had just settled into the bigger sofa.

 

"Hey, that's my spot!" Lance jabbed a finger at the sofa-thief.

Keith looked unimpressed as he asked, "Who the hell are you?".

"Who am I?!! I'm Lance McClain! I'm in your class, always sitting right behind you?!" Lance answered hotly, albeit a little stung.

It's been a semester and this guy doesn't even know who he is? _Come on man_ , Lance thought they even had a little competition going on between them. Like 2nd last in class versus 2nd in class(Hunk is unsurprisingly first), see who can rise up first?

"I don't see your name anywhere here." Keith deadpanned.

Wowowow, what an _asshole_.

"Well I was here the day before you were! And why the heck do you need such a _long_ sofa for your _short_ legs anyway?" Lance shot back.

Keith narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"Much like the reasons you need such a _big_ head for your _small_ brain." He retorted viciously before turning away into the sofa.

"I- y-you!" Lance sputtered.

And everything, all the homesickness, envy, sleepless nights and frustration made something snap in him.

Lance vehemently _squeezed_ his way onto the same sofa as Keith.

" _What the_ -" Keith started when he felt a relentless presence at his back.

"I don't see your name anywhere here either," Lance intoned icily, "You can leave if you feel uncomfortable."

Keith remained where he was out of sheer stubbornness.

 

-

 

Lance tried to keep his distance at first, but after falling off the sofa twice accompanied by Keith's snicker, Lance ran out of shits to give and hardcore cuddled Keith.

" _Got a problem? Wanna leave?_ " Lance challenged a squirming Keith when he shot a death glare at him.

Ultimately, Keith surrendered to the warm embrace of sleep.

 

-

 

The next morning found them tightly wound but still exhausted from a night of fitful sleep.

They stared blankly at each other upon waking up face to face.

Lance eyed Keith's dark eyes circles.

"This is _ridiculous_." Lance mumbled, hazy from the morning.

Keith raised an eyebrow, as if to say _I'm glad you know_.

"Why can't you sleep in your room anyways?" Lance asked, half curious and half annoyed.

"Bad brother with snoring girlfriend." Keith answered with a hoarse voice, then returned the question, "You?".

Lance bit his lip, reluctant to reveal his frankly embarrassing weakness of insects to his nemesis.

But Keith's amusing bedhead and heavy lidded eyes seeped out all the fight in Lance as he admitted meekly, "There's a beetle in my room."

Keith snorted. Then stood up.

He offered a hand to him.

 

"Come on, let's go get that bug."

 

-

 

Lance watched from behind his pillow as Keith cupped the beetle with two hands and released it out by the window, unexpectedly gentle.

Lance heaved a sigh of relief as he slumped onto his bed.

He then realised Keith was walking out through the door.

"Where are you going?" Lance called from his bed.

Keith turned with great effort.

"Back to the lounge. I need more decent shuteye." He answered with one eye closed.

Lance fidgeted a little before asking, "Do you want to sleep here?"

" _What?_ " Keith's other eye opened.

"I mean, my roommate went back to visit his family so his bed is free, not that you should sleep on it although I'm pretty sure he won't mind but I guess I can sleep on his bed then you can take my bed. If you want to. Or not." Lance continued his nervous babble.

Keith's eyes lit up a little.

"You _sure?_ " He asked skeptically.

Lance let out a breath.

"Look, I know we got off on a bad start but I'm tired, you are tired, there's a free bed. Why not?"

Keith sleep-addled mind could not argue with that logic so, "Alright."

Lance grabbed his pillow and switched to Hunk's bed while Keith took off his shoes and flopped gracelessly onto Lance's bed.

"Goodnight." Lance said.

"Night." Keith said.

 

-

 

Lance came to naturally at 12pm after the best sleep of his life, stretching out his limbs in satisfaction.

He snuck a glance at Keith, who was already staring back at him. They both looked away quickly.

"Uhhh," Lance started awkwardly, "Sleep well?".

"Yeah, thanks to you." Keith replied softly.

"Well, thanks for chasing off Eugene." Lance returned.

"You.. _named_ the beetle?"

"All Eugenes are evil." Lance stated seriously, which pulled a surprised laugh out of Keith.

Lance looked over in time to witness the poster child of emo flash a smile, accompanied by dimples.

_Oh shit, he's cute._

"Also.. sorry if I was rude yesterday. I get cranky when I'm sleep-deprived." Lance continued sheepishly after recalling _force-cuddling_ with a certain someone.

"It's fine, I wasn't exactly.. _welcoming_ either." Keith said.

"Yeah no shit, Sherlock."

Keith chuckled.

"Soooooo any plans for today?" Lance asked, fingers playing with the corner of his pillow.

"Uhhh, I'll probably visit the gym or maybe study at the library. Basically avoid my brother and his girlfriend." Keith sighed.

"Wow what an _interesting_ life you live." Lance couldn't help but comment dryly.

He received a blanket to his face for that.

"Hey!" Lance protested.

Lance would blame it on the boredom and loneliness later on but from under the blanket, his muffled voice offered, "How about you live a little for once and hang out with me instead?".

There was a tense moment of silence in which Lance was pretty sure Keith had realised how weird the circumstances were and hightailed out of the room.

"..Okay." The long awaited answer came.

Lance immediately pulled down his blanket and sat up towards Keith, as if to confirm he was truly there with his own eyes.

"Really?" Lance asked.

"..Sure." Keith affirmed with a small smile, which Lance can't help but return.

"Cool."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring that single microwave mac'n'cheese recipe that I can cook, Fun Run from childhood memories and Hunk that we all love! And mild X-Men movie spoilers, sorry!

Keith isn't panicking, no, he's just _reevaluating_ his life.

How on earth did he get from basically being a hermit to cuddling with a stranger and agreeing to hang out with said person _within a night_ , he thought as he brushed his teeth aggressively.

Alright, maybe he did know of Lance before. How could he not, with all the funny commentary and loud laughter between him and Hunk behind Keith. He even found himself cracking a smile sometimes after overhearing their nonsense.

It feels like he already knows too much about Lance, with his tendency to overshare details with Hunk. Like Lance’s suspicions of his moles ( _“I swear I didn’t have this mole on my arm last week. It’s like they’re multiplying, Hunk!”_ ) and his younger siblings’ bad concept of time ( _“I told them I’ll be back in April but they kept asking if I’m coming back next week. It’s December, Hunk, December!”_ )

 _What a dork_ , Keith thought to himself with a chuckle.

He turned to his closet.

So what was someone supposed to wear while 'hanging out'? Should he bring some food?

They had agreed to meet up after Keith cleaned up at his own toilet and with every second, the chances of him sticking to the agreement slips.

And Shiro's of no help, either. All he did was make heart eyes at Allura and tell Keith to ' _just be himself_ ' or some useless advice.

Eventually Shiro had enough of his fussing and shoved him out of the room, locking the door.

_Rude._

Guess his usual black tee and empty hands will do, then.

 

-

 

"Hunk, I _screwed up_." Lance speed dialed his one true pal after Keith left.

"Okay, just tell them that you are not obliged to say anything until your lawyer comes."

"What? No Hunk, I'm not getting arrested."

" _Oh thank God_ I don't think I can pretend to be a lawyer again."

" _Dude_ , you didn't even have to be a lawyer to bail me out that time."

"I'll like to think it _sped up_ the process, _thank you_ very much."

"Yeah, yeah, you're the best, buddy. Okay, don't freak out but.. I invited Keith to our room."

"Keith as in _Keith Kogane_ from our class?"

"Yup."

"Alright.. congrats? Please don't do anything shady on my bed."

"What, no! It's not.. we're just gonna chill."

" _Rigghhhhtttt._ "

"I mean, he kind of helped me to chase off a beetle in our room so I offered to hang out with him?"

Lance wisely did not include details regarding their sleeping arrangement the night before.

" _Mmhmm_ so what's the point of this emergency phone call?"

"It's Keith! Mr. I'm-better-than-everyone-else! _My one true rival_! Oh my God what was I thinking? It's gonna be so _awkward_! Is it too late to cancel? I'll just lock the door and fake my death-"

"-Lance-"

"-And move back to Cuba with abuela and work as a _potato farmer_ -"

" _Lance!_ "

"-and alright I'm panick-rambling aren't I?"

"Yes. Come on bro, it's just Keith. You don't know him enough to judge. Also, I'm pretty sure he can't be that _bad_ if he helped you out."

"You're right, you're right. But what can we do? I doubt he just want to sit around and talk about life."

"Just do the usual stuff we do, I guess? Play fun run, marathon some movies on your laptop."

"Good idea. Great, then we're done for the day and I won't have to meet him again."

"I don't know, from the way you talk about him it seemed to me that you would _want_ to meet him again."

"Pfft _pish posh, Hunk_! Just because you think I'm _attracted_ to his pretty face-"

"-I definitely did _not_ say that-"

"-Or whatever he hides in that mullet, it doesn’t mean _anything_. I'm not going to date someone just because of their looks. Besides, I don't even know if he's into guys or anything."

"Alright alright, I'm just _saying_. So, you good to go?"

"Yeahhh about that, can you teach me how to cook nice meal for two in like-" Lance glanced at the clock, "-20 minutes?"

 

-

 

So Keith's been outside Lance door for awhile now.

There's no Shiro to rush him this time.

He just needs a moment, okay?

There was a loud clang and cursing from beyond the door.

Keith urgently barged in.

 

And was greeted with the sight of Lance in front of the table with a bowl of macaroni, pinching his earlobes with both hands.

"What." Keith blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, then, "Are you okay?".

"Hey Keith!" Lance chirped, "I'm fine, not like I tried moving the bowl of hot pasta with my bare hands because I can't find the mittens or _anything_."

Keith raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah okay you got me. But hey, it _worked_ didn't it? And now we have delicious cheese macaroni for brunch!" He continued cheerily as he dug out two spoons from the cupboard, passing one to Keith.

Lance then took a seat at the table and gestured the other to do likewise.

He scooped a mouthful, blowing on it before eating it.

And let out a pleased sound.

" _Sometimes I amaze myself._ " He mumbled to himself in awe.

 

Lance looked at Keith expectantly.

Then his eyebrows furrowed and he started rambling, "Oh wait shit I should have asked if you were lactose intolerant or saliva consc-"

"Lance." Keith interrupted, low key glad that Lance is as nervous as him, "It's fine. Thanks for cooking my share."

 _Because honestly_? This is the first time someone other than Shiro cooked something for _him_.

Lance visibly relaxed before replying, "You make me sound like I donated a _kidney_ but I literally made this in a _microwave_ with step by step instructions from my roommate Hunk."

Keith chuckled at that admission before taking a bite.

And then a few more because _damn, it's good._

" _Told ya~_ " Lance singsonged.

"Yeah, this tastes great.” Keith agreed and offered, “..I could do the dishes later?”

" _Such a gentleman,_ ” Lance mock swooned by clutching his heart, “But it’s fine, it’s just one bowl actually… Maybe you can return the favour next time." he suggested playfully, and Keith's heart throbbed at the mention of next time.

"Sounds good." Keith mumbled into his bowl to hide his heated cheeks.

 

-

 

"Soo... What do you want to do now?" Lance asked after putting away the dishes.

Keith shrugged.

"Ok, I have some ideas..”

 

-

 

“I _can’t believe_ I’m doing this.”

“I _can’t believe_ you haven’t played this before. Are you like, allergic to fun or something?” Lance teased, unable to help himself.

“I played the first version when it came out like _5 years ago_. Most people _grew up and moved on_ since then, Lance.”

“Yeah well, most people grow old and die too, and I don’t see you doing that?”

Keith scrunched his nose adorably.

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

"You don’t make sense. Hey add me, I’m SirLancelot.”

Keith snorted.

"And what’s your great name, huh, Mr.Mature?”

Lance caught a glimpse of blush before he looked at his phone and did a double take.

“ _Knife4Life_?!?” He exclaimed before he broke into a fit of laughter.

Keith's face flushed red and he would have probably punched Lance if he wasn't captivated by the sight of the boy doing a full-body laugh.

“Urgh, my brother suggested it and I stuck with it since it’s never taken.” Keith defended weakly.

Lance wiped a stray tear from his left eye, using his right hand to wag a finger at Keith.

"Ah ah ah, I don't think so, _Knifey boy_."

"Believe what you want Lance, I'll still kick your ass with my terrible name."

"Oh, it's _on_!"

 

-

 

"How's the view from _behind_ , Keith?" Lance taunted as he lead the game in first place three quarters into the round.

As he jumped over an obstacle before the finishing line, he was pulled backwards by the magnet power-up from Keith, who ran past him easily and claimed first spot.

"WHAT!?!"

"I don't know Lance, how about _you tell me_ how's the view from behind?" Keith parroted him smugly.

"That's unfair! I was in the lead for more than half the game!"

"All's fair in love and war."

 

-

 

"Which douchebag put this bloody unavoidable trap?!"

"The douchebag in the first place."

"It was a _rhetorical question_!"

 

-

 

"Did you just assassinate me even though I'm already in the _last place_?!"

"Oops."

"Eat _SHIT_ , KEITH!"

 

-

"AHAHA, SUCKER!" Lance called as he passed Keith who was structure by lightning. He himself was unharmed thanks to his force field barrier.

Lance whooped as he finally cinched the first place mere seconds before Keith.

"Well since _I'm_ the winner-"

"-For 1 out of 13 rounds,-" Keith intercepted, which Lance gracefully ignored.

"-I declare that we shall now on play in teams!"

Keith scoffed, skeptical of the idea of working together.

Lance cupped his ear in the direction or Keith.

"Oh, is that a _sore loser_ I hear?"

Keith rolled his eyes.

"Shut up and accept my damn invite, Lance."

 

-

 

Surprisingly, they make a good team.

Apparently their malice works better when it's _not_ aimed at each other.

It's not about who wins first anymore, it's about trashing the opponents while ensuring your partner is not caught up in the slaughter.

"Lance, jump!" Keith instructed suddenly and Lance complied immediately, allowing him to avoid the razor blade Keith had just sent out.

"Thanks, buddy. I've got a lightning with me, tell me when you have a shield on."

"Will do."

And with that strategic partnership, they went on a winning streak, high fiving after the 15th round and decided to take a break.

 

-

 

"Objections to Hawaiian pizza?" Lance asked as he speed dialed Dominoes.

"I don't like pineapples."

"Suck it up and eat your fruits, _Keith_. Calling once-"

"NO PINEAPPLES!"

"-CALLING TWICE, _SOLD_! Hi, can I have a large Hawaiian, _extra_ pineapples please?"

Keith suddenly grabbed the phone.

"Sorry, we changed our minds. We-"

There was a click on the line before there was a cheerful, "Hi, welcome to Pizza Hut, how can we help you?"

Keith shot a death glare at a snickering Lance before ordering, "Can I have a large Hawaiian, no pineapples."

 

-

 

"Shall we watch something in the meantime?" Lance suggested as he set up his laptop.

"Yeah, sure."

"Any particular preferences?"

Keith's nose scrunched adorably.

"Can't say I'm too fond of romance."

"What about people with super cool powers with a dash of romance?" Lance asked with jazz hands.

"You mean like, the Avengers?"

"The Avengers' nice and all but after bullying my dear Tony Stark in Civil War, they can't pay me _enough_  to watch it again. I'm talking about X-Men."

"Oh, I guess I could catch up on that."

"Where are you up till?"

"I think I only watched the first three? I think there was this new series, and then there's Wolverine solos so I got confused with the sequence and kind of gave up."

"Perfect. Wolverine's the sideline so you can just ignore it. The new trilogy is _amazing_ oh my God, I can't believe you stopped!" Lance cried as he loaded the movies, patting the spot beside him on the bed.

"Let's just say The Last Stand wasn't much of an encouragement to continue." Keith reasoned as he hesitantly took up the space, leaning against the wall in mirror of Lance's position beside him.

"Ok, that is a valid argument." Lance agreed with a nod and moved half the laptop onto Keith's lap. "The fandom itself has this unspoken consensus to pretend X-Men 3 never happened."

Keith scoffed.

"Good call."

 

-

 

"I didn't know Mystique was Professor X's sister."

"Get ready to be Educated, young padawan. Also, isn't tiny Raven the _cutest_?"

"Debatable."

"Admit it Keith, you would adopt her. Especially when she grows up to be an assassin."

"I'll take that into consideration."

 

-

 

" _Aye papi._ " Lance whispered under his breath at the scene where young Erik is donned in nothing but a bathrobe.

Keith agreed internally.

 

-

 

Lance decided to test the waters and continued, “Everyone is _at least_ 30% gay for Michael Fassbender.”

Keith turned to look at him with a serious expression.

“But I’m already _100%_ gay.”

Lance held his breath before he noticed Keith’s lips quirk in a half smile and let out a loud laugh.

Lance raised a hand for him to high five, which Keith complied.

“The internet says I’m 50% gay and 50% straight since I’m bi, but I think I’m just 100% full of love.” Lance clarified with a wiggle of eyebrows.

“Except for when it comes to bugs, huh?”

“Insects are god’s mistakes and _you know it_.”

 

-

 

Lance noticed Keith nodding approvingly when Erik stabbed some Nazi's hand with a knife, and wasn't sure whether it was worrying or endearing.

  
-

  
Lance cringed at the forced heteronormativity when Erik leaned over to kiss Raven .

He was glad that Keith was sharing the same sentiment, from the looks of his furrowed brows and scrunched nose.

 

-

 

"NOOOOOOOO!" Lance cried dramatically, voice muffled by his fingers covering his mouth.

Keith had to admit that Darwin's death was totally unnecessary and silently mourned the loss of an interesting powered POC character.

  
-

 

"That moment when you try to seduce bae by sitting sexily but he insists on talking about genocide." Lance commented dryly at the chess scene between the main characters,

Keith let out an unexpected giggle, revealing adorable dimples.

Lance's feels strangely pleased about that reaction.

 

-

 

The doorbell rang suddenly, making both of them jump and Lance paused the movie.

They exchanged confused glances.

“Pizza delivery!”

“Oh yeah!” They scrambled to receive their food.

 

-

 

After Keith had washed his hands and returned to his spot, he realised that there's a new box of tissues on Lance's lap.

"Trust me." Lance said seriously when he caught Keith looking.

 

-  
"Charles mY SON! He just felt a b _ullet_  through his _brain_  and now his _boyfriend_  is running away with his _sister_  while he _bleeds_ out from his _spine_." Lance wailed, making good use of the tissue box.

Usually, Keith would probably laugh at Lance's predicament but as it is, the 'Cuban Beach Divorce' as Lance dubbed it, was pretty _tragic_ , especially with James McAvoy's superb acting.

  
_'My legs, I can't feel my legs.' Charles repeated._

 

Lance let out a fresh flow of tears.

Keith patted him on the back in what he hoped was a comforting manner.

  
-

  
They barreled through the next two sequels at Lance's insistence to 'mend his broken heart'.

The tissue box came in handy a few more times.

  
-

  
" _OHMYGODOHMYGOD CHERIK IS REAL!!!!!!!!_ " Lance squealed, grabbing Keith's hand tightly and shook it like there's no tomorrow when the Erik's flashback of Charles appeared in X-Men: Apocalypse.

Keith can't help but grin in face of Lance's elation.

The scene then faded to the next, and Lance suddenly noted his hand's position. He abruptly let go of Keith's hand and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Lance then perked up when he noticed Erik turning his back on Apocalypse.

" _WOO!! KICK ASS, BITCH!_ " He cheered passionately.

Keith returned his attention to the screen, hoping that his blush don't show.

 

-

 

Finally when the credits roll, Lance let out a breath of satisfaction from the emotional roller coaster.

He turned to face Keith and ask him about his opinions but realised that he had somehow fallen asleep through the dramatic fight.

Lance took the chance to inspect Keith more closely, since he had always been only limited to the back of his head in class.

He traced with his eyes Keith’s eyelashes to the slope of his nose to the purse of his lips, which are rather chapped, and thinks to himself, Hunk’s right.

 

He’s in trouble.

 

-

 

“I’m so gay.” Lance announced the moment the call connects.

“ _Uh huh._ ” Hunk said, unimpressed, “Did you call to tell me I’m right?”

“Hunk, my man, my main bro, the light of my life-“

“Keep going.”

“Alright alright. Keith’s cool.”

“Aaaand?”

“Aaaand super cute and you are right I thinkI’mcrushingonhim.” Lance admitted quickly.

“Aha! But Lance, you know we talked about this.”

“That I fall too quick and move too fast and scare people away with commitment?”

“Pretty much, and also-“

“It is not my fault, it’s just that most people are not too keen to settle down and stuff, yes I know.”

“Mmhmm.”

“Okaaaay, but consider this: Keith is gay.”

“Oh, he told you?”

“Yeah, I lured him with Michael Fassbender.”

“Ooo, smart. Everyone’s like, _at least_ 30% gay for Michael Fassbender.”

“ _THAT’S WHAT I SAID!_ Yeah, then he’s like ‘but I’m 100% gay’ with the _straightest_ face-“

“- _The irony_ -“ Hunk interrupted with a snort.

“HAHAHA yeah, and then I said I’m bi and stuff sooooo.”

“Wait, so what did you guys do actually?”

“Oh, at first we ate the cheese macaroni, which was superb anyway, thanks bud. Then, we...”

 

-

 

“So,” Hunk said after Lance recalled the events of the day, “You are telling me that after you oogled him from up close, you left him sleeping on your bed and came out to call me?”

“Well if you put it that way, yes.”

“…. _I SHIP IT!_ ” Hunk concluded excitedly.

“Awww thanks for the support pal, but actually now that you mentioned it, I was supposed to ask you for advice on what to do next.”

“You should wake him up, in case he has something urgent tomorrow. But you can also offer him my bed until I come back, you know I don’t mind.”

“What happened to slow and steady?” Lance squeaked.

“Screw that, my shipper heart can’t take slow burn. Just kidding, you can get to know him better slowly this way, though? And if anything goes wrong, you can just say I’m returning early and kick him out, I guess.”

Lance considered his suggestion for awhile before replying, “Hunk, you’re a _genius_ , did I ever tell you that?”.

“Only for like 34 times.”

“That’s because you are, buddy, thanks a lot. Alright, I should go wake sleeping beauty up.”

He heard a squeal from Hunk before they bid goodbye.

 

-

 

Lance took one look at Keith’s peaceful form and decided to delay the inevitable. He went to pack up his laptop and proceeded to wash the dishes.

 

He looked at his soapy hands for a moment.

 

-

 

A feeling of something cold and wet on his face made Keith jolt upright with shock.

There was evil snickering in the background.

Upon reassessing his surroundings and one laughing Lance, he deduced that he had fell asleep during the movie marathon, and had been rudely awoken by Lance’s wet hands.

“Your..your _face_!” Lance managed to wheeze out.

Keith groaned in embarrassment as he rubbed a hand down his face, then narrowed his eyes at the other, which reminded Lance of a disgruntled cat.

Lance chuckled, and pointed at Keith playfully.

“That’s for falling asleep during the best part of the show!”

Keith looked away meekly, rubbing his neck.

“Sorry, didn’t sleep much these days.”

“Riiight, about that. Ermmm, I talked to my roommate just now and he said that you could take his bed until the end of December. Like, if you want.”

“That’s.. really kind of him, but I don’t want to impose any more than I already have.”

“Dude, it’s really fine. Besides, I wouldn’t mind the extra company _you know_.” Lance added the last part in a small voice.

“Are you sure?” Keith asked, because he honestly would not have invited a friend to stay over under most circumstances. He likes his own space thank you very much.

“Yeah.”

Keith searched Lance’s eyes for any trace of apprehension but all he saw was anticipation.

He hoped that he did not make a wrong move when he replied, “Okay then.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The pinching of earlobes thing is real thing I saw my friend do when she touched a hot pot. Apparently the earlobes is the coldest part of your body(?) so it would somehow ease the burn or something. All I know is that it was hilarious so I pictured Lance doing it (Sorry Lye Mun I still love you)
> 
> And yes, I'm still salty about Civil War so forgive me for channeling my inner X-Men fan through Lance instead lmao but honestly, X-Men is too damn gay(I love it), 10/10 recommend.
> 
> And yiss shipper!Hunk cos' someone has to be.


	3. Chapter 3

Shiro and Allura hounded on him like vultures when Keith came back.

“Why are you so late?” “Why didn’t you answer your phone?” They demanded immediately, with arms crossed and akimbo.

Keith looked at the wall clock and was shocked that it was already 11pm.

He rubbed the back of his neck meekly.

“Sorry, I didn’t notice the time. And I forgot to bring my phone.”

The Parents seemed mildly appeased by his reasons, sitting back down on the bed.

“It’s okay, just don’t do it again.” Shiro chided.

“ _You_ were the one who pushed me out and locked the door.” Keith mumbled petulantly.

“I thought you will be back in a few hours!” Shiro defended.

“Well, me too! But I accidentally fell asleep..”

Shiro closed his eyes in exasperation.

 

“Alright, enough of that. Now tell us, how was today?” Allura asked excitedly.

“Fine.” He answered nonchalantly as he started to pack up his bed sheet.

“Maybe… you could _elaborate_?” Allura pushed after realising that he wasn’t going to offer more information.

Keith sighed like a long-suffering child.

“We ate, played FunRun and marathoned X-men.”

“And was it fun?”

Keith thought about the day and a small smile tugged at his lips.

“Yeah.”

 

He sneaked a look at the duo, who looked delighted at his new development at friendship.

“This is great, Keith! I told you meeting new people would be good for you.” Shiro beamed like a proud mom.

“Right.” Keith replied, wondering if his social life was so pathetic that hanging out with a friend is considered an achievement in his brother’s eyes.

“Wait, what are you doing?” Shiro asked when Keith dropped his toiletries into his ransack.

“Packing.”

 

Allura sighed before prompting, “What for?”

“Lance’s roommate offered his bed to me for the holidays.”

Shiro and Allura exchanged surprise glances.

“And.. you accepted it?”

“Well, it’s better than-“ Keith caught himself before he revealed that Allura’s snoring was keeping him awake and making her feel guilty.

Urgh, the _things_ he do for Shiro.

“It’s better to make friends with Lance this way.” Keith corrected as he packed his phone charger.

Allura frowned before asking, “Are you _sure_? You don’t really know this Lance guy well enough to share a room with him.”

“Actually I do, he sits behind me in my class.”

 

Shiro perked up at that mention.

“Wait, is this the guy that you are always talking about?”

“What, no!” Keith denied a little too quickly.

“ _Oh really_ , what did he say?” Allura asked slyly, ignoring Keith’s protests.

“‘ _Today the teacher asked what is the strongest force on earth and the guy behind me yelled ‘LOVE”.’_ And _‘The guy behind me found a foreign coin and tried to convince his friend that it is from a country I’m pretty sure he made up._ ’”

Allura let out a loud laugh.

“Alright, he sounds fine. But don’t let your guard down too much, you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.”

“That’s why I’m bringing this.” Keith assured with a smirk and retrieved his favourite knife from under his pillow.

“Keith, you are _not_ bringing that knife.” Shiro stated as he touched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, “Or _any_ other of your knives. Lance will think that you are a murderer!”

Keith pouted indignantly.

“Here, take this instead.” Allura fished a metallic-looking comb from her purse and threw it over to him.

Keith caught it easily, fiddling with it in curiosity.

“Press the bottom.” Allura instructed.

Keith complied, and a blade popped out from the side like it would in a swiss army knife.

He grinned in appreciation and thanked her before placing it into his bag.

Keith looked up to see Shiro gazing at Allura fondly.

He took that as his cue to leave.

 

“Alright, bye.” Keith muttered as he reached for the door.

“Wait!”

He feels a reassuring hand on his shoulder as Shiro said, “Be careful, Keith. Come back anytime if you don’t feel comfortable, okay?”

Warmth bloomed in his chest at the concern shown by his brother.

“Yeah, yeah.” He murmured, then quickly decided, “Allura can use my bed if she wants to.” before making his exit.

 

-

  
After spreading his bed sheets onto Hunk’s and charging his phone, Keith and Lance concluded that they should go to bed.

Lance switched the lights off and flopped onto his own bed.

Keith tossed and turned every few minutes.

"Can't sleep?" Lance asked.

"Mmm it's too early for me to sleep on a Sunday." Keith explained.

"Sorry. I have an early shift tomorrow so I don’t really have a choice."

"What do you work as?"

"Your beloved local barista at the Altea." Lance said proudly.

"Hmm can't say I've heard of it."

"Well you're missing out from my _beautiful_ latte art!"

"I think I can live with that." Keith replied.

"Yeah, I guess you are charmed enough from the maker himself."

"Whatever makes you sleep better at night, Lance."

Lance let out a chuckle.

"So, what about you?"

"Hm?"

"Are you working?"

"Oh, I'm interning as a gym trainer at the Balmeria."

Lance imagined Keith in sweaty gym clothes and cursed the boy internally. Could he be any _more_ hotter?

"Cool cool cool." Lance winced at his own attempt to play it cool.

 

He cleared his throat.

"So, what's your favourite _sea animal_?"

If Keith noticed the abrupt change in topic, he doesn't mention it.

"The peacock mantis shrimp." Came the immediate reply.

"Whoa, that's a unique one. Any particular reasons?" Lance asked.

"It's front appendage can deliver a blow with the same force as a 22-caliber bullet."

"Oookay I see a recurring theme here, _Mr.Knife4Life_."

"Well what do you see in your favourite animal?"

"The Opisthotheusis Adorabilis is the cutest octopus alive _thank you very much_."

"Did you come up with the name yourself?"

"No! It was so adorable the scientist is considering naming after it!"

"I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way."

"It really does though, because although they discovered the species of these flapjack octopus in the 1990s, they haven't really named it so the honour goes to the scientist in charge of the research now and she's inclined towards Adoribilis."

"You seem _terribly_ _knowledgeable_ about this topic."

"Yeah, I saw the video of the cutie on tumblr and went to read up more on it heh."

"Flapjack octopus, huh?"

"Yeah, imagine an octopus with short tentacles and two little head flaps like dumbo!"

"..Like the pink one in nemo?"

"Exactly! But maybe not such a douche."

"I hope not.."

-

Keith dreamt of flapjack octopus hats that night.

 

-

 

" _Someone's happy today._ " Nyma commented upon seeing Lance's non-diminishing smile since he started his shift.

"It's a good day!" Lance chirped.

Nyma put the rag she was using to wipe the counter down and leaned closely towards him.

"W-what are you doing?" Lance backed away suspiciously.

She squinted at him for awhile before concluding, "You met someone."

" _Whaaat_? I meet people _everyday_. I'm a _people person_! People is my _middle name_ hahaha!" Lance gave a forced laugh.

Nyma raised an eyebrow at his non-existent lying skills.

Lance grinned abashedly and asked shyly, "How do you know?"

"Aha!" She snapped her fingers before starting up the cash register.

"First of all, no eye bags means you didn't get lucky last night. Next, not only did you not use a pick-up line on me today, you stepped backwards when I neared you. So the verdict is: you've got it bad for someone else."

Lance huffed, half indignant, half impressed.

".. although I'm thinking who else could it be apart from that mullet classmate you have a love-hate relationship with." She continued, pursing her lips in thought.

"What?!" He squawked, the tips of his ears heating.

"Oh my god, it's him, _isn't it_! So you finally managed to get over the rivalry part and admit your feelings for him, huh?" Nyma said because she can read Lance like an open book.

Lance covered his face with his hands.

"Is it that obvious?" He asked, peeping through a hole between two of his fingers.

Nyma shook her head with a kind smile.

"I just know you better than most," She explained, "So, how did you confess your undying love for him? You better spill the juice to me during break. Every. Single. Detail."

 

-

 

“Keith?” Lance asked once again when they are going to bed.

“Hm?”

“I know it’s a bit late, but you’re not a serial killer, right?”

Keith snorted.

“No, I’m not.” He mumbled.

“… You sure?”

“Sure. Or else I would have killed you yesterday in your sleep.”

Lance hummed in agreement.

“Besides, if your body is found, I’ll be the _main suspect._ ” Keith added.

“You’ve put quite some thought into this.” Lance said skeptically.

Keith yawned.

"Need to.. plan.. ahead.."

"Haha, very funny.”

“Mm.”

"You're kidding, right?"

“…”

“Keith? _KEITH!_ ”

 

-

 

Is it _creepy_?

No it's not like Keith tracked Altea Cafe on google maps and biked 10 minutes here during his break. I mean, _he did_ , but not like Lance would know.

Technically they just met this morning and will meet again at night but it's no big deal right? Just _stopping by_ a friend's workplace to get some coffee.

Yeah.

With that, Keith pushed the door into the quaint cafe, a ding! from the bell above the door to announce his arrival.

The place was fairly empty since it was not peak hour at 4pm, but Keith's shoulders drooped when he saw that the person at the counter is female.

He was considering slowly backing out but nope, too late, _eye contact is initiated_.

Keith reluctantly approached the counter.

 

"Welcome to Altea Cafe, how can I help you?" The lady asked cheerfully.

"Uhh..." Keith started awkwardly, quickly looking up at the menu but was overwhelmed by the choices. _Who names a coffee Quiznak_? His eye flickered anxiously to the too-friendly cashier.

She flashed him a patient smile, although her eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Can I have some.. _coffee_?"

"Just plain black?"

"I guess."

"Okay. Grande or Venti?"

"Huh?"

_Was she even speaking English?_

"Medium or Large?" She repeated.

"Medium."

"Alright, that'll be $4.20." She concluded.

Ouch, Keith thought as he handed over the cash for bitter water.

"Thank you."

Keith didn't really know what to do so he hung out around the counter since there's nobody behind him. He tried to look around discreetly for a Lance-shaped figure but to no avail.

The staff took a cup and marker and asked for his name.

"Uhh.. Keith."

Her marker paused a beat before writing his name onto the cup.

"Hold on, I'll ask the barista to make your coffee." She said before she disappeared to the backroom with a smirk.

 

-

 

Initially, the new customer was kind of _shady_ , but in a _hot, mysterious way_.

Granted, he's a _little_ short but hey, Nyma doesn't discriminate, especially when he can pull off that mullet pretty well.

Now she's starting to sound like Lance. Nyma chuckled to herself.

 

Wait a minute. This pretty boy is wearing fingerless gloves and seemed to have ' _sparkling violet eyes_ ' as well.

 

Coincidence?

She thinks _NOT._

 

Although he seemed to be a little on the _slow side_ , she thinks, when Keith said "Can I have some.. _coffee_?"

Either that or this is his first time buying coffee.

"Grande or Venti?"

"Huh?"

 _Definitely_ his first time buying coffee.

Just to see Lance? _How cute._

Nyma fought to keep her squeal contained when the suspect identified himself as the infamous Keith.

Give it to Lance to take a break during _this_ time to feed his Hayday cows or whatever.

"Hold on, I'll ask the barista to make your coffee." Although it wasn’t really necessary. It's just black coffee, she could totally make it herself.

 

But.

Nyma's like, a _great person_ in general and _really really_ want to watch some drama unfold first hand so.

"Sweet cheeks, a difficult customer is asking for you." She informed Lance with a straight face, who cursed and quickly kept his phone, plastering on a phony smile.

Nyma watched as Lance's fake smile turned into a genuine one when he saw Keith.

Lance immediately shot an accusing glare at her, who returned it with a wink.

She returned to her spot behind the register and pretended to busy herself while eavesdropping.

 

-

 

"Well, well, well, If it isn’t the _serial murderer_. What brings thee to my humble abode?” Lance drawled in faux casualness.

“Uhh, I was just walking around during my break and I saw Altea, so I guess I could get my coffee from here instead.”

Lies. That terrible drink was never part of his routine.

“Right! So what did you order?"

"Erm, black coffee I think."

"Black coffee?! Nonono siree, you do not come into my place and order _just black coffee_. I mean, you can if you want, but if you will allow me to spice it up with some _Lance magic_ -" There was a scoff from both Keith and Nyma. "- you will not regret it."

Keith hesitated.

"But.. I paid for a black coffee already."

Lance waved his concerns off like flies.

"It's okay, this is on me. So, do you like your coffee with milk?"

"Yes?"

"Alright, one latte de Lance coming up!”

 

-

 

Lance watched in trepidation while Keith took a sip of the coffee that he had made.

He smirked as he suavely leaned onto the counter and bragged, “Pretty good eh?”.

Keith tasted his mouth a few times before concluding, “I guess.. it tastes like milky, bitter water.”

Lance slammed the table a little too loudly, attracting the attention of a few patrons. He smiled sheepishly at them before jabbing a finger at Keith.

“ _The nerve_! I bet you _10 bucks_ I can make you a coffee you will enjoy.”

Keith folded his arms, unimpressed.

“And what’s in it for me?”

“One free cup of coffee of different flavour every time you visit. But you gotta be honest, no faking that distaste.”

Keith pretended to consider his offer, but knew that he was already sold on the excuse to visit Lance everyday.

“Alright, _deal_.”

They shook on it and Keith tried not to notice how warm Lance’s hand was.

Their handshake stayed a little longer than usual but too short to Lance’s liking, before Keith cleared his throat and pulled back.

“Right. Prepare to fall in love with coffee, mullet!”

 

-

 

Despite their new sleeping arrangement, it did not allowed them to interact much apart from when Keith gets coffee during his break and pillow talk at night, since they still have work during weekdays.

But Lance takes whatever he gets.

"Hey Keith, what's your horoscope?” Lance asked as he settled under the covers at night.

"Horoscope like the _constellations_?"

"No, like your _birthday horoscope_."

"I'm not sure.."

"It's okay, what's your birth date?"

".. 28 October."

"Ooo a Scorpio, I see."

"What's that mean?"

"Stubborn and violent, very fitting."

"I got a feeling you are only listing out the weaknesses."

"Alright, alright, passionate and brave too, happy?"

"..You know this the top off your head?"

"What? It’s _interesting_!” Lance muttered defensively.

"Then what's yours?"

"17 July Cancer; Loyal and sentimental. That's right, I'm a _sensitive and fragile flower_."

There's a snort from Keith's side.

"I can tell from watching X-Men."

"Fight me, Mullet-head."

"I wouldn't want to hurt your _feelings_."

 

-

 

“Mmm, a little too sweet for my liking.” Keith deemed another experiment failed.

“Well, guess caramel’s off the list now.” Lance said as he jotted it down into a notebook he had prepared.

“Also, my brother wants your number in case of emergencies.” Keith said, after remembering Shiro’s text in the morning.

“Why Keith, if you _wanted my number_ you should have just _said so_.” Lance said with a smirk, batting his eyelashes exaggeratedly.  
  
He was rewarded by Keith’s cute pout.

“I take it back, my brother can just find out about my death through the news obituary.” Keith muttered as he crossed his arms and Lance falls a little deeper for the grouchy boy.

“And they say _I’m_ the dramatic one.” Lance commented with a chuckle.

He uncapped the marker with his mouth and suddenly grabbed Keith’s hand to write on his palm.

Keith turned it over to see Lance’s number and XOXO scribbled on the back.

He then escaped Altea before Lance could see his blush, but not before Lance could shout “Call me!”.

 

-

 

“You didn’t call me.” Lance leaned against the door with a frown when he let Keith into his room.

Was Keith supposed to? He thought he was joking. Lance play-flirt with Hunk all the time as well, from what Keith remembers from his eavesdropping on their daily calls. But he was pretty sure they were just good friends.

“I-I was busy.” Keith lied.

Lance immediately brightened and said, “It’s okay! Just call me now.”

Keith’s raised eyebrows must have conveyed his confusion, to which Lance explained “I need _your_ number too, dummy. What if I have a late shift and there’s nobody to open the door?”

“Right.” Keith agreed before dialing Lance and hanging up, pretending that he wasn’t ecstatic at the prospect of Lance having his number.

Immediately, his phone pinged with a new message from the latter:

Lance: Welcome home, honey! ;)

Keith: No.

Lance: You’re no fun 

Keith: I never said I was.

Lance: … Fun Run 2?

Keith: … Fine.

 

-

 

Since then, Lance have been sending Keith at least 3 pictures of animals or memes everyday.

 

-

 

On Friday, Lance was setting up the counter with Nyma for the day when Coran entered.

The ginger man, most notably recognised by his signature moustache, was the owner of Altea. He was nice enough, although a little eccentric.

He doesn’t really come into the café often, but when he does, it is usually because he has a new peculiar idea for the menu, which Lance and Nyma normally tries to talk him down to reality. (" _Coran, I don’t think you can just add bubblegum to coffee and call it ‘Sticky Surprise’ ""And pray tell, why not?" "Ermmm, because customers might choke on the gum?'' "Oh quiznack!')_

Nevertheless, Lance sees him as his quirky uncle.

“Hey Coran, what’s up?” Lance greeted cheerily.

‘What is ‘up’, my boy” Lance grinned at the way Coran used finger quotes on colloquialism, “Is that my god-daughter is coming to visit!”

“Cool, what’s her name?” Nyma asked out of boredom, inspecting her fingernails.

“Allura.” Coran announced with pride.

“How old?” Lance joined in, inquisitive of the first family member Coran have ever mentioned. Usually, he talks about his wild adventures during his younger days in the army, although Lance is pretty sure 87% of it was exaggerated.

Coran used his fingers to count before answering.

“I think she’ll be 25 this year!” he concluded heartily, although his fingers show an 8.

“Availability?” Nyma asked playfully.

“Ah, sorry folks, dear Allura is taken for now. She’s coming with her boyfriend, actually.”

Lance nodded absently for awhile before doing a double take at Nyma.

“Wait, you are into _girls_?”

Both Nyma and Coran broke out in laughter simultaneously before they realised that Lance was not joining along.

“Oh, he meant it.” Coran whispered.

“Are you guys for real?! Is that why you never succumbed to my charms?!” Lance asked with genuine surprise.

“I’m bi too, Lance, so no, your flirting is ineffective as it is.”

Lance gasped in betrayal and offense.  
  
“All this time we could be _bi buddies_ , but you _be playing_.” He accused.

“Sorry honey, I honestly thought you knew.” She patted him on the shoulder.

Coran clapped his hands in conclusion.

“Well, now that things are settled, let’s get to work, no?”

 

-

 

“Welcome to Al-“ Lance greeted when the door opened during the slow afternoon hour, but stopped because a literal angel appeared in the form of a tall lady with billowing white hair that contrasted her dark skin.

Lance heard a thud beside him, which is caused by Nyma dropping a rag so _yes_ , he’s pretty sure that he’s _not_ the only one being overwhelmed by the stranger’s ethereal beauty.

“Allura!” Coran’s voice boomed from behind and both Lance and Nyma groaned in unison because _of course_ the goddess had to be Coran’s _attached_ god-daughter.

“Coran!” Allura responded delightfully, both relatives coming together in a tight hug.

“How are you doing? How’s Brooklyn treating you?” Coran started on his fatherly questions when they pulled back.

“Oh I’m fine. It’s been great, I love the weather here!” Lance noticed that she share Coran's accent.

She turned around to pull forward another person to which Lance had missed out in his enchantment, and introduced “This is Shiro, the boyfriend I mentioned!”

Lance jaw dropped the second time that day.

“ _Oh my god, it’s Takashi Shirogane!_ ” Lance hissed to Nyma.

“You know him?” Nyma questioned as she oogled those biceps. Hey, she can't touch but she _sure can look_.

  
“ _Do I know him_?" Lance whispered harshly, "He’s the _school star!_ Captain of the rugby team who won a tournament even when his _prosthetic arm fell off!_ ”

“I guess you’ll need someone like that to match a princess, huh.” Nyma commented.

 

They both sighed and shared a moment of silence for the single community.

 

-

 

Lance perked up again when a familiar mop of black hair made entered the café.

His stomach fluttered when Keith made eye contact and smiled.

Urgh, a room with _two higher beings_ and Lance had to pick the _kid with the bad haircut_.

_No regrets, though._

 

Unfortunately, he was not the only one to notice Keith’s presence.

“Keith!” A voice called from the table where Coran was sat with his visitors.

Both Lance’s and Keith’s head whipped in that direction to see Shiro waving him over.

 

Keith paled visibly and shot a nervous glance at Lance before he headed obligingly towards them.

Lance watched in surprise as they made small talk, too far for him to make out the words, before Keith eventually shuffled over to the counter.

Keith greeted nervously, “Hi-“ 

“How do you know Takashi Shirogane?!” Lance can’t help but blurt out.

Keith looked away and bit his lip before replying, “He’s my.. brother.”

Lance probably let out some kind of noise before accusing loudly, “ _Why didn’t you tell me that before_!!?!”

 

Keith’s expression shut off rapidly.

“It didn’t come up.” He snapped before exiting the place abruptly without even ordering anything, leaving Lance lost and confused.

Nyma threw him a sympathetic look and Lance realised he had screwed up somehow.

  
_Shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhangerrr! Aha, apologies because I have to sleep early for work tomorrow so I'll continue posting probably next week! 
> 
> And I absolutely loved writing in the perspective of Nyma, she's like Gina Linetii from Brooklyn Nine Nine! Hopefully I can squeeze more of her inside into this fic aha!


	4. Chapter 4

  
Lance played with his phone mindlessly in bed until 2 a.m. when he finally had to acknowledge the fact that Keith is not sleeping over that night.

His insides churned in guilt.

He hopped out of bed and grabbed his jacket before heading to the lounge.

Sure enough, Keith was sleeping on the longer sofa. Lance’s heart fell, feeling terrible at the prospect of no longer sharing the room with Keith.

He covered Keith with his jacket before leaving.

 

-

 

Keith woke up warm with a new blanket and a new text.

_Lance: Took the night shift today, but I left the extra key under the doormat!_

 

-

 

When Lance returned late, he couldn’t be gladder to see a lump under the covers of Hunk’s bed, and his jacket folded nicely on his.

He allowed himself a grin before proceeding to wash up.

 

-

 

“I’m sorry I yelled at you yesterday.” Lance said to the darkness that night, hoping Keith was awake. ”I was just really excited.”

“…”

“Are you still mad at me, Keith?” Lance asked.

Keith winced at the hurt in Lance's voice.

Eventually, he had to clarify, “…I’m not _mad_ at you, Lance.”

“...Is it Shiro?”

“I’m not mad at Shiro but..” Keith explained before continuing in a small voice, “sometimes.. people get close to me just to know him, you know?”

“I didn’t know about Shiro before I met you.” Lance said earnestly.

“I know.. I just.. When I was 13, I had some friends who I invite over to my house to play, which is how they met Shiro. And he would join us and stuff, which was great. But when I was 15 and Shiro left for college, those friends just.. _stopped all contact with me_..”

Lance heart ached to hear the vulnerability in Keith’s voice. Is this what made this boy isolate himself from others? In fear of people making use of him to get close to his perfect brother?

“Well those fake friends ain’t worth your friendship anyway. I’m not going to be one of them, Keith, _I promise_.” Lance said earnestly.

And I’m going to prove it, Lance thinks.

“Thanks, Lance.”

 

-

 

Keith was awoken by melodic singing accompanied with the smell of bacon and eggs.

The soothing tune suddenly stopped, changing into a familiar voice.

“Good morning, sleepy! Breakfast’s ready!”

Keith rubbed his eyes as he got up.

Lance chuckled at him when Keith looked uncomprehendingly at his plate of food.

“Yes, it’s for you, Goku.”

Keith finger combed his hair self consciously at a feeble attempt to tame his bed head before giving up entirely.

“Thanks, you didn’t have to.” Keith said as he dug in heartily.

“Actually I do, because you are coming grocery shopping with me later.” Lance told him.

“..I am?”

“Yes, you ate my food so you have sealed the pact.”

Keith snorted.

“I suppose it’s too late to puke it back out?”

“You better not!”

 

-

  
"I'm surprised you have enough nutrients to survive this far." Keith commented as Lance put the fifth packet of sour cream and onion potato chips into the cart.

"I've let you know that potato chips have as much nutrients as regular mashed potato alright! The only difference is that one's _sliced thin_ and the other's _mashed up_." Lance refuted.

"I'm _pretty sure_ that's not true." Keith said skeptically.

"Alright, _Mr.Healthy_ , then tell me one tasty snack I can get nutrients from without the hassle of cooking."

Keith crossed his arms at that challenge and replied, "Salad."

"Aha! I knew you would say that, but the thousand island dressing makes it as unhealthy as a regular subway!" Lance snapped his fingers smugly.

"Then don't use cream dressing."

"Then it'll just be eating lettuce! _I can't live like a rabbit, Keith!_ "

Keith sighed like it was his job and picked up a dark sauce bottle from the shelf beside him.

"Try this instead. It's Japanese sesame dressing. Adds flavour without the oil."

Lance pretended to inspect the content on the bottle that is written entirely in Japanese.

"Uh huh and _since when_ did you become an expert in Japanese cuisine?"

"Since Shiro makes me eat them."

“Sooooo I guess you and Shiro are pretty close, huh?”

"Definitely, he’s more like my mum sometimes.” Keith thought with a fond smile.

“Is he your only sibling?”

“Yeah.”

“Oo, I bet you’re like the youngest child that get spoiled by everyone else.”

“Please, _as if_ I could ever get out of Shiro’s shadow..” Keith drawled with a self-depreciating chuckle.

"Dude, his light is too strong- we are _all_ in his shadow." Lance quipped, "Doesn't mean we can't party in the back."

Lance put the sesame sauce in the trolley and raised his hands up in a partying gesture while wiggling his eyebrows.

Keith rolled his eyes but cracked a smile.

"Alright but for real, that's not a _fair_ thing to say." Lance continued as he moved on to browse the freezer for ice cream.

"..Hm?"

"It's like ... comparing how sweet an apple tastes to how smooth cats' fur are," Lance mused as he raised one tub of ice cream to check the price tag underneath, "which is pointless because they are _both_ great in their own way."

And _damn_ if that wasn't the nicest thing someone had said to him. Keith's insides gave a squeeze.

"Hello? Earth to Keith. Did my wise words of wisdom blow you away?" Lance snarked with finger guns.

"I was just stunned by the fact that you're making sense for once." Keith deadpanned, but a soft smile betrayed his words.

" _Ungrateful child!_ " Lance declared in an aged voice.

He then proceeded to touch Keith's face with the cold ice cream tub, making him yelp, then quickly ran away cackling.

 

-

  
Keith chased Lance until the store clerk chastised them for running around.

  
-

  
“Lance?” Keith said to the ceiling in the middle of night.

“Mm?”

“ _..Thanks for everything._ ”

“Mmm.”

They both fell asleep with a soft smile.

 

-

  
“Quick question, are you allergic to nuts?”

“No, why?”

“So I don’t kill you by hazelnut coffee.”

“Hmm, I don’t really like nutella, though.”

Lance clutched his pearls like a scandalised Victorian.

“Return me that coffee, you ungrateful nutella-hating heathen!”

 

-

 

Lance turned on his side to face Keith’s bed when he asked, "Do you think parallel universes exists?"

Keith expected these nightly bedtime conversations by now.

"Definitely- the possibilities in space are endless." He replied easily.

"Wait, does this mean that you believe in aliens too?"

"Extraterrestrial life forms, yes. Have you any idea _how small_ Earth is among the universe? There's certainly others out there!" Keith defended.

"Oh my god please don't tell me _that's the reason_ for you majoring in Astrophysics."

Silence emitted from Keith's bed, probably because he's sulking with a pout.

Lance chortled at that image.

"Alright, E.T boy, so is it possible that in a parallel universe we might be defenders of the universe, fighting space aliens in giant robotic.. cats! Preferably alongside like, a pretty alien princess and her butler or something."

"..Why cats?"

"I like cats, they are my favourite land animals."

"I don't think your enemies will be intimidated by _cats_."

"Alright fine, _big cats_ then. Robotic lions that can combine into one giant robot like power rangers.

"I guess."

"Mmm, that'll be cool." Lance gave a sigh before continuing, "Meanwhile I'm here on Earth, wasting my parent's hard-earned money studying a degree where I'm _barely making it._ "

Lance gave a self-depreciating chuckle.

There was a pause, and Lance wondered if he had shown too much of his dark side.

"But you never know, maybe I'm much better off than another parallel me where I live in a dump and -"

"Lance," Keith interrupted his rambling.

Lance shut his mouth.

"You are not _that_ bad." Keith said, then winced at his words.

" _Gee, thanks_."

" _I meant_ ," Keith tried again, "No lie, Astrophysics is _hard_. The requirements are straight As, which means within our class itself the bar is raised _really high_. Being near the bottom doesn't mean you are.. _bad_."

Lance knows that, _he really does_. Which was why he was mugging his ass off in high school, especially since he started learning English late and had a hard time understanding certain subjects. But it was worth it when he topped his school and for the look his parents gave him at his valedictorian speech.

However, it all crashed when he started university and the workload _tripled_. He had to juggle studies with work to reduce the burden on his parents. Which he had failed to do _obviously_ , and the resulting disappointment really made him question his true capabilities.

"It doesn't matter, I'm worse than _majority_ of the class. And that's bad enough." He said, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"Well, so what? We are only on our first semester, you have three more years to improve."

Lance sighed, still unconvinced.

"Glad to know at least _one_ of us has faith."

"I know sometimes it feels like - like everything you do is _pointless_ and disappointing but that's _everyone's_ reaction to failure. And of course life can't _always_ be a string of successes but the key is to not let failure stop you from reaching them." Keith advised.

Lance took a moment to contemplate his words, feeling a little less insecure and a little more hopeful.

But he can't help himself from asking, "Did you really came up with that deep quote _yourself_?"

"Nah, Shiro told me that."

Lance smiled at his honesty.

"Thanks for sharing that with me, anyhow. I really needed it."

"..And if you want, I can help with you your studies? I mean, in return for the stay." Keith asked tentatively.

Lance considered his offer.

The only thing stopping him was probably his pride, which – _who was he kidding_ – probably gone the moment _Eugene_ flew into his room.

"Well, _if you insist_." Lance slipped back into his cocky self easily.

He probably can hear Keith roll his eyes from the bed across.

"Righhhhtttt, are weekday nights fine with you?" Lance asked.

"Yeah, that's alright.”

"Great! See you at 8 tomorrow?"

"Okay."

"Cool."

 

-

 

“Is the coffee _spoilt_? It’s a little sour.” Keith commented with his tongue out in disgust.

“Ah, no, I was going for the _tangy_ taste, you know? Like lemon coke style.” Lance explained with jazz hands.

Keith gave him an unimpressed look.

“Well I’m telling you, it _doesn’t_ work for coffee.” 

Lance shrugged.

“Worth a shot.”

 

-

 

“What’s your weakest subject?”

“Physics. _Goddamn physics._ ” Lance answered immediately.

“Alright, so any topics that you are unsure of?”

“Quantum Mechanics. I never got the photoelectric effect.”

Keith nodded in understanding, he himself had to consult Shiro on that too.

“Alright, how Shiro explained to me was that light is a source of energy, that comes in packets in the form of photons. So imagine that a lamp is a bank,-“

“ _A bank._ ” Lance repeated dryly.  
  
“ _Trust me on this_ , and the photons are the people who borrow ‘money’ in the form of energy. Meanwhile, the electrons trapped on the surface of the metal are prisoners. So these prisoners require a minimum amount of ‘money’ to get bailed out, which is provided by the photons.”

“Right.”

“Now the amount of ‘money’/energy a photon has is determined by the frequency of light, resulting in a threshold frequency which is essentially the _minimum_ frequency that will allow the photons to have enough ‘money’ to bail the electrons out.”

Lance took a moment to parse the new information.

“ _Oh my god._ ” He whispered in epiphany.

“Still with me?”

“Yup. Hang on, I’m gonna write this down.”

Keith waited patiently as Lance doodled diagrams of banks and cash.

“What about the kinetic energy stuff?”

“Okay, Let’s say the bank decided to loan lots of money to the photon, who passed it all to the prisoner electrons. The electrons can then _not only_ use the money for bail, but also _travel around Europe_ after they are released.”

Lance laughed at that comparison.

“Hence, the equation for the initial energy photons have is the minimum energy needed for bail _plus_ the extra kinetic energy they have after escaping. And from the leftover kinetic energy, you can calculate the speed of electrons that are emitted.”

  
Lance shook his head in disbelief.

“I can’t believe you made me understood quantum physics with _prisons_ and _bail money_.”

“It’s Shiro’s idea.”

“Well thank you for passing down this priceless knowledge.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please do not trust me on the nutrients and salad part, I was just making up as I went. I tried to research a little, but yahoo answers aren't really trustworthy soooo. 
> 
> Also, character development~~ Ok somehow, it looked longer and deeper in my head but somehow in words it seems pretty short. Hmm. Oh well, hope it's sufficient to explain things anyhow.
> 
> Totally did some deep ransacking in my brain for any semblance of Physics knowledge and had to google a bit to actually get it all back but yeah! That's how I explained it to my friend the photoelectric effect as well. The only reason I could actually remember is cos' I totally doodled that shit down which took up an entire page.
> 
> But yes, hope this has been an educational chapter all in all!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sick fic trope is thrown in here, enjoy!

Keith’s barely held himself back from spitting the coffee out.

“ _What the hell, Lance_ , did you put _salt_ in this?!”

Lance had the _gall_ to look a little apologetic.

“Look, I was just trying out the _four different tastes_ , you know? You already shot down bitterness, sweetness and sourness, so _clearly_ the next choice was…”

“ _Lance!_ ”

 

-

 

Lance reached a hand out under the rain from the shelter outside the cafe.

He groaned when his hand got drenched in a matter of seconds.

Should he wait the rain out? _But he's meeting Keith at 8._

He sighed and braced himself for an impromptu shower.

 

-

 

Lance burst through the door, wet and dripping onto the floor.

Keith watched as he unzipped his jacket to reveal his bag safe and dry from inside.

"Forgot your umbrella?"

"Nah, usually it's a short 15 minutes walk from the cafe to here so I guess a little rain wouldn't hurt."

" _Uh huh_." Keith said, unconvinced at Lance's soggy state.

"It's fine, my phone's dry, which is all that matters really."

Lance dried himself off with a fluffy towel with one hand and shot a thumbs up to Keith with the other.

"You can shower first if you want, you know. I'm not going anywhere." Keith told Lance with mild concern.

"I'll bathe when we're done.”

“Are you sure? Can’t be too comfortable like that.”

“Yes, yes, _mom_. Now can we start?”

“Fine, don’t come blaming me when you’ve caught a cold.”

“McClains don’t get sick _that_ easily. Now come at me, nuclear fission!”

 

-

 

When Lance finally stopped sneezing after the _ninth_ time, Keith gave him an unimpressed look.

“Alright, we are done for the day.” Keith announced decisively and slammed the assessment book they were working on close.

Lance held up a finger while stuffing his nose with tissue.

“Hey! This is _not_ a cold, okay? It’s just _temporary flu_ because of the _sudden temperature change_.”

“Go take a bath, Lance. We are done for this topic already anyway, we’ll continue on probability tomorrow.”

Any further protest from Lance was silenced by his own sneeze.

Resigned, Lance did the walk of shame to the bathroom.

 

-

 

Nyma looked surprised to see Keith coming into the café.

“Sorry sweetie, Lance called in sick today, did he not tell you?” She said.

Keith cursed that stubborn boy under his breath.

“Erm, then can I get two ginger tea to go?” He ordered.

Nyma squealed internally at the thought of Keith bringing hot tea to a sick Lance.

_Ah, young love._

“We don’t usually sell teas but for you, dear, I’ll break out my secret tea stash.” Nyma confided.

“Thanks a lot, I appreciate it.” Keith said earnestly, earning Nyma’s mark of approval.

“Here you go,” She passed the takeaway cups over to him, “Take care of Lance for me.”

Keith blushed when she gave him a knowing wink and slipped away from the counter.

 

-

 

For once, Lance was pretty glad he gave an extra key to Keith because he doesn’t think it is _physically possible_ for him to open the door right now.

Keith let himself in, hands filled with takeaway food and drinks.

He took one look at shivering Lance who is cloaked in several layers of blankets and gave a deep sigh.

“Not. A. Word.” Lance managed to croak out.

Keith touched a hand to his forehead, dismayed yet unsurprised to find it hot.

“Alright Lance, the reason you are feeling so cold is because you are burning up from the fever. You need to take a bath, preferably cold one, to bring the temperature down.” Keith explained.

Lance groaned and closed his eyes.

“ _Just let me die like this._ ”

Keith nudged him in reprimand.

“ _Don’t be such a baby_. And you know you could have avoided all this if you took a shower earlier yesterday.”

“What’s with you and showers? _Desperate to see my hot bod much?_ ”

Keith scoffed.

“Your snark isn’t going to distract me from your bad decisions.” Keith reassured, “Quick, don’t make me haul your ass into the toilet.”

“Oo, _kinky._ ”

Keith abruptly yanked the covers off Lance, making him yelp.

“Move it!” He urged impatiently, grabbing Lance’s arm.

“Okay, okay, _jeez_ , so _pushy_.”

 

-

 

Keith waited until Lance was 5 minutes into his bath before switching off the heater from the outside.

There was a loud cry from inside the toilet, and several curses dedicated to Keith.

Keith snickered.

Lance reappeared promptly a few minutes later, haphazardly dressed and _shivering violently_ with a big scowl on his face.

He swiftly _swooped_ back into bed and burrowed under the blankets.

“Come on, you have to eat something.” Keith shook the covered lump.

“I-I’m f-freaking _F-FREEZING_ , K-Keith.” Lance whined.

“The porridge and tea is hot, it’ll warm you up.”

“T-too f-far..”

“Urgh.” Keith huffed before dragging a chair and bringing the food over.

“Alright, eat it in bed.”

Lance popped his head out, hair damp and curled around the edges.

“F-feed m-me?” He asked with a hopeful smile.

“ _What?!_ ”

“I-I can’t e-eat when I’m _s-shaking_ l-like this!” Lance cried with a pout.

“ _..Fine._ ” Keith relented with a sigh.

He spooned the porridge into Lance’s waiting mouth after blowing it cool.

Lance let out a satisfied noise.

“W-what about y-your work?” He questioned.

“I’m on my break.” Keith replied.

Lance hummed in acknowledgement.

“For the record, _I told you so._ ” Keith reminded.

Lance grumbled when Keith intercepted him with another spoonful.

They continued in comfortable silence until the bowl is empty.

“Alright, now eat your medicine.” Keith passed him the pills and a cup.

Lance took them with minimal trembling and swallowed the pills, washing it down with lukewarm tea.

Keith then took back the cup and cleared up the area.

He tested for Lance’s temperature again with his wrist and was glad to find that it had gone down substantially.

Tucking the covers a little more firmly, Keith turned to leave but was stopped by Lance catching his hand despite his closed eyes.

Keith felt his heart palpitate faster.

He gave Lance’s hand a squeeze before regretfully letting go, since his break is really going to be over soon.

 

-

 

Outside the room, Keith patted his cheeks and willed it to cool down.

 

-

 

Inside the room, Lance held his hand close to his chest and drifted off with a smile.

 

-

 

When Keith returned immediately after work to check up on Lance, he was greeted by the sight of him walking up and about.

“ _Ta-da!_ I made you some sesame salad to show my appreciation.” Lance gestured at the two bowls of lettuce in flourish.

“So.. you’re alright now?” Keith asked tentatively.

“Of course! Oh, I forgot to mention! McClains don’t get sick easily, but if they do, they _recover quickly_ , too.” Lance said smugly.

“I’m not sure if I can _trust_ your ‘McClain legends’ anymore.” Keith teased.

“ _Look_ , do you want the salad or not?” Lance asked defensively.

Keith hugged the bowl protectively.

“I’ll take it, thanks.”

 

-

 

"Do you miss your family?" Lance asked solemnly at night.

"Shiro's with me, so."

"What about your parents?"

"..."

"..Well I miss mine, especially my Mama. If I were sick, she would cook me nice soup and _not_ make me shower in freezing waters.-“

“- _It work didn’t it?_ -“

“Although she will always made me do the chores. She made all of us do the chores actually, but my older siblings always get away with the excuse of studying but I saw them watching youtube videos, _those liars._ It's okay though, cos' my younger siblings are still young and excited about doing them, and I'll always have to come up with some story to entertain them while folding clothes." Lance continued wistfully.

He sighed sadly.

"This will be the first time I'll be missing Christmas with them." Lance admitted softly, which sounded wrong coming from the usually cheerful boy's mouth.

“You can spend Christmas with me and Shiro and Allura instead.” Keith blurted out, then mentally smacking himself for this unplanned decision.

“.. Really? I don’t want to intrude into your family time with Shiro.”

Keith scoffed.

“I meet Shiro everyday, Lance. And also, I _might_ not want to be the third party between the couple.”

“I guess.. since I don’t have any plans other than to binge watch Brooklyn Nine Nine anyway.. I can join you guys?”

“Great, then we can finally play card games that require four people.”

“Somehow I feel like I’m being used.”

“Hey, at least you get free turkey.”

“ _Sold._ ”

 

-

 

“Where’s Allura?” Keith asked when he returned to his room with Shiro alone.

“She went out with her uncle again, why?” Shiro replied as he typed on his laptop.

“Nothing, just curious.” Keith answered, then “Is it okay if I invite Lance to spend Christmas with us?”

“Sure! The more the merrier. I wanted to ask you to do that anyway.”

“Alright, good." Keith muttered, then proceed to inform Shiro, "He's coming."

“ _Nice_ , now we can finally play Bridge, or Hearts!”

“Exactly.”

Shiro side eyed him with a playful grin.

“Aaannnd I finally get to meet this _Lance person_ who swept my brother off his feet.”

“What.” Keith intoned, feeling his cheeks start to heat.

Shiro turned in his roller chair to face him fully.

“Keith, I haven’t seen you this happy for a long time.”

Keith avoided eye contact when he mumbled, “It’s not like that.. I just.. haven’t had a friend in awhile.”

Shiro’s smile turned chagrinned when remembering Keith’s previous social experience.

“Alright, I’m just glad you’re hanging around with somebody apart from me.”

“Even if the somebody feeds me questionable coffee daily?”

“ _Especially_ if the somebody feeds you questionable coffee daily.” Shiro answered in mock seriousness.

Keith chucked a pillow at his face.

  
-

 

“Why is this coffee …spicy?”

“Ginger tea – Ginger coffee! Yes or yes?”

“No.”

 

-

 

“Psst Keith, tell me a secret.” Lance pestered Keith once again at night.

“What?”

“Then I’ll share mine with you.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a _fair_ trade.”

“What, hey! I would have you know my secrets are _top class knowledge_ that everyone would  _die_ to know.”

“Alright,” Keith took a deep breath, “I'm …adopted."

"O-Oh." Lance _so did not_ see that coming.

"That's why my surname and Shiro's are different... I wanted to keep the last thing that is related to my birth parents."

It seemed right to share this in the middle of the night with Lance.

"I'm not close to Shiro's parents. They are usually busy working, so Shiro practically raised me since I was 10. I was a difficult child, angry at being abandoned by my parents, but Shiro's as stubborn as me."

Keith bit his lip before recalling, "I remember Shiro making me bentos to let me bring to school so that the other kids would think I have a 'mum' making them for me."

"That's.. really nice."

"It is," Keith agreed, "We were pretty much glued at the hip since then until he came here, and well, got a _girlfriend_.”

That comment was laced with a hint of bitterness.

"And then now you got _me_. Even better!" Lance attempted to divert the conversation.

Keith heart warmed at that, because Lance's right, he's got someone now.

_But he's not telling him that._

"Well, I didn't have much choice didn't I?" Keith said instead.

"Hey! You should be _on your knees_ in gratefulness! But I suppose I'll be _gracious_ and allow you to thank me while lying down."

" _Such benevolence._ "

"You're welcome."

“Now, what’s your secret in exchange?” Keith asked.

 _Damn_ , Lance was hoping that he would forget.

 

“I …once farted five times in a row in the middle of class and I put the blame on Hunk.”

Keith giggled at the _absolute absurdity_ of that statement.

“You never fail to amuse me, Lance.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. See, I told you my secrets are _national treasures_!”

Keith rolled his eyes with the force of a thousand suns.

“Don’t push it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Hunk ahaha


End file.
